Rams One Win Away to Clinching First Round Bye in Skyline Playoffs with Old Westbury Sweep

Tom Heeman

Apr 20, 2008

Rams Closer to Clinching First Round Bye in Skyline
Playoffs with Old Westbury Sweep

Game 1
Farmingdale State – 3, Old Westbury - 1

Game 2
Farmingdale State – 14, Old Westbury - 0

Farmingdale, N.Y. – Junior pitcher Tom
Heeman (Valley Stream, N.Y./Hewlett) went eight innings in game one
for a 3-1 victory and senior pitcher Rob Savarese (Syosset,
N.Y./Syosset) went five innings allowing just three hits in the
second game, as the Rams swept Old Westbury (11-25, 8-6) to improve
to 18-13, 11-3 in the Skyline today in a baseball doubleheader in
Farmingdale, N.Y. Farmingdale State is one win away from clinching
a first round bye for the Skyline Conference Baseball Playoffs,
which start on Wednesday, April 30th and are the host site for the
Tournament on May 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

In game one, the Rams took a 2-0 lead. Senior third basemen Luis
Feliciano (Bronx, N.Y./Park West) reached on a single, followed by
a single by junior shortstop Brian Benvenuto (Dix Hills, N.Y./Hills
West) singled and sophomore Mike Labrozzi (Sag Harbor,
N.Y./Pierson) was hit by a pitch to load up the bases. Freshman
first basemen Kevin Curtis (Riverhead, N.Y./Riverhead) hit an RBI
fielder’s choice to score Feliciano and the second run was
scored off a throwing error.

After four innings of scoreless play, Old Westbury made it 2-1
with a triple by junior outfielder Ben Farmer (Three Mile Bay,
N.Y./Lyme Central) and a sacrifice fly by freshman shortstop Joe
Mazzarese (Copiague, N.Y./Copiague). The Panthers had a chance to
tie in the top of the seventh when freshman first basemen Emmanuel
Mateo (Brooklyn, N.Y./Benjamin Banneker) singled, stole second and
was advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, but was caught stealing
home by Heeman and sophomore catcher Zak Nersesian (Nyack,
N.Y./Nyack). The Rams scored their third run in the bottom of the
seventh when Feliciano hit another single up the middle to score
Nersesian (Nyack, N.Y./Nyack) from second. Heeman was relieved by
sophomore Billy Garofalo (Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) for a
three out save in the ninth inning, striking out two batters.

The second game featured 13 hits by Farmingdale State in the
14-run shutout. Labrozzi opened the bottom of the first with a
three-run homerun over the left field fence for a quick 3-0 lead.
The Rams added one more run in the second and third innings, three
in the fifth and a big six-run inning in the sixth for the
convincing victory.

Farmingdale State will now host Baruch on Tuesday, April 22nd in
a single non-conference game at 3:30 p.m.